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ZAMBEZI Sun Hotel in Livingstone has rebranded to Avani Victoria Falls Resort with immediate effect.
The hotel has been rebranded alongside four other hotels in Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia.
Minor Hotel Group (MHG), a hotel owner, operator, and investor, currently with a portfolio of 133 hotels and resorts in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Africa and the Indian Ocean, rebranded the five hotels to its upscale Avani Brand.
Sun International Zambia general manager Emmanuelle Moneger announced the rebranding in Livingstone yesterday during a briefing at the convention centre for the new Avani Victoria Falls Resort.
Ms Moneger said the rebranding meant increased room occupancy rates as the hotel would have a bigger exposure in the world where MHG was operating.
She said there would be no job losses while new jobs were expected to be created following the move.
Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) tourism promotion manager Jocelyn Mutinta said the rebranding would boost the marketing of Livingstone and Zambia’s tourism products abroad.
Sun International Zambia public relations manager Joyce Sikabbubba said the rebranding was a milestone to Zambia and asked citizens to look forward to more good things that were coming as a result of the change.
Minor Hotel Group chief executive officer Dillip Rajakarier said his Group was happy to reflag the five properties to its upscale Avani brand and in doing so expand the brand significantly into the African market.
Sun International chief executive officer Graeme Stephens said the partnership provided an opportunity to create a strategic alliance with a leading international hospitality and leisure operator that brought not only hotel management and marketing expertise but also an ability and desire to invest.
Regional director for hotel operations in Africa Richard Hawkins said the rebranding was an important step in the evolution of the portfolio.
Gaborone Sun in Botswana has been rebranded to Avani Gaborone Resort and Casino while the Lesotho Sun and Maseru have been rebranded to Avani Lesotho Hotel and Casino as well as Avani Maseru Hotel, respectively.
The five properties form part of the portfolio in which MHG invested a total of 679.5 million South African rands in their strategic partnership with Sun International Group which was announced in August 2014.
Times of Zambia
